Music / Jazz
Review: Alex Merritt Quartet, Bebop Club – ‘Rolling collective freedom’
Like the Bebop Club’s main man, trumpeter Andy Hague, saxophonist Alex Merritt is also well-respected on the Bristol jazz scene for his role organising the monthly Fringe In The Round gigs (at The Bristol Fringe, natch).
Thus it wasn’t too surprising that a fair smattering of local musical ‘faces’ mingled with the packed out audience for his new quartet’s debut visit. It may have also been that piano star Elliot Galvin – last seen at December’s memorable Shabaka Hutchings gig – brought in a few, too.
The foursome was completed by Bebop favourite Will Harris on bass and Londoner Jay Davis drumming: a well-established rhythm pairing long associated with hard bopper Matt Anderson up in That Smoke.
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Alex Merritt Quartet – Alex Merritt, Will Harris
Alex’s relaxed tenor introduction to Oliver Nelson’s Six And Four set the tone for a nicely unforced set of left-field standards well suited to the band’s comfortable mutuality of approach. The tune’s sort-of blues structure and slightly off harmonics were at once familiar and distinctive – a description that fitted the individual players’ styles.
Yet for all the strength of their respective musical personalities the balance of the music was assured, allowing for passages of rolling collective freedom that clearly pleased the players as much as the audience.
Alex Merritt Quartet – Jay Davis
The great pianist/composer Thelonious Monk was well represented in three contrasting tunes, starting with the wistful Ugly Beauty whose waltz time only gradually crystallised from Elliot’s warbly-toned electric piano and Alex’s reflective sax.
When it did, the snappy bass and drums nicely tightened things without dropping into a mere groove, testament to Will and Jay’s grounded understanding of each other’s playing. A later segué of Monk’s Mood and Monk’s Dream perfectly showcased the band’s strengths, whether in the exploratory saxophone solo that floated in and out of the melody, the nifty bopping keyboard groove that announced the second tune or the free passage that merged the two.
A very nicely empathetic bass/drums double solo gained impetus from little keyboard incursions and Jay was allowed a rare ‘big drum’ moment that he made the most of.
Alex Merritt Quartet – Elliot Galvin, Alex Merritt, Will Harris
All in all their music was a great example of fresh contemporary jazz built on a respect for heritage without becoming a mere pastiche of, say, hard bop.
These four creative players clearly know the rules but never let them get in the way of their own ideas – a winning formula that made this an excellent night for the Bebop’s satisfyingly full house to appreciate.
All images: Tony Benjamin
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